New platform, independent rear suspension, and no roof.

JOHN LAMM

Nov 13, 2013

KGP PHOTOGRAPHY, PATRICK M. HOEY

What It Is: The 2015 Mustang convertible getting a preproduction shakedown, and wearing camo that looks like external airbags. As we revealed with our exclusive look at the 2015 Mustang coupe, the next version of Ford’s pony car will build on its 50-year history with a shape that puts one foot in the past and the other firmly in the future. While the overall proportions look familiar, the nose will adopt the Fusionate (Astonate?) front-end styling that’s spread across the Blue Oval’s lineup, with headlamps that sweep smoothly toward the front fenders.

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The profile will be instantly familiar, with a waistline that flows slightly upward as it moves rearward to the deck. The flat tonneau area behind the cabin will be used once again to store a fabric roof, as adopting a folding hardtop would add needless cost, weight, and complexity.

Intelligence and previous spy photos suggest the interior will include a slightly forward-canted dash with a pair of round main gauges and similarly shaped air ducts. In a welcome change, there will be physical switchgear—rather than capacitive touch controls—to mirror some of the functions of the optional MyFord Touch system. The interior will also take a leap upward in terms of material quality, a hurdle made lower by the cheap-feeling plastics in today’s car.

Why It Matters: First of all, it’s a Mustang. Going beyond that, a convertible variant has been part of the Mustang family from the very beginning. Half a century ago, the open-air version made up roughly 25 percent of the first year’s production, back when one could be secured for as little as $2557. So this car is more than just a profit center for Ford—it’s a core component of the company’s DNA, right alongside the country’s bestselling vehicle, the F-series pickup. For buyers, the Mustang droptop matters because there aren’t many sub-$30,000, four-seat convertibles that you can use as both a commuter vehicle and a weekend toy.

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Platform: The new “S550” chassis sits underneath this convertible, and it not only brings an independent rear suspension—finally—but also saves a couple hundred pounds of weight over the old car. Cutting out some fat not only will help efficiency but should also be a boon to both ride and handling.

The engines will be carry-over units at launch—a 305-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 and the 420-horse, 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 in the GT—and they will again back up to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Like the first-ever Mustang, this all-new model will have a very long first model year, which will bring updates to the powertrains. We’re hearing the GT could get as much as 80 additional horsepower.

As usual, there will be a variety of higher-performance spin-offs, including some wearing Shelby badges. Our sources indicate that the GT500 will return for a short run with the same 662-hp supercharged V-8 before potentially giving way to a GT350 model powered by a flat-crank, twin-turbo EcoBoost eight code-named “Voodoo,” which could make as much as 600 horsepower.

There will be EcoBoost engines for the masses, too. One sure bet is a 2.3-liter four making 310 horsepower—a lower-spec version of which just debuted in the Lincoln MKC crossover—and Ford is also toying with adding the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 found in the current Taurus SHO, albeit not for a couple of years after launch. At some point, the nine- and/or 10-speed automatics being co-developed with GM will be introduced.

Estimated Arrival and Price: We expect the 2015 Mustang convertible to debut fairly soon, as we believe Ford would like to follow its 50-year-old precedent of putting both it and the coupe on sale at the same time, which will happen next spring. Pricing should start at the same wallet-friendly $26K or so and then move up from there.